Aviation, Space and Defense Quality Engineer Level 1 (Practitioner)

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Within the ADLI professional certification structure, the AS&D Quality Engineer profession is defined within the professional Body of Knowledge (BoK) at two levels—Level 1 (Practitioner) and Level 2 (Senior). The two levels of quality engineer are established to recognize that as professional capability is developed and demonstrable, an AS&D Quality Engineer should be able to assume greater work responsibilities. The primary difference between a Level 1 and Level 2 AS&D Quality Engineer is the ability of assignment of tasks with greater complexity at a greater volume. The Level 1 AS&D Quality Engineer is primarily focused on the internal work processes of the organization. Within the scope of the ADLI definition of Quality Engineer, work processes related to the supplier-base are not aligned to the Level 1 AS&D Quality Engineer as Primary responsibility.

At both levels of the Quality Engineer profession, the AS&D Quality Engineer analyzes and solves quality problems, develops quality assurance plans and instructions, prepares procedures, mentors inspectors and operators, participates in product and system audits, analyzes quality costs and other quality data, and applies fundamental statistical methods for process control.

In addition to the work tasks and knowledge requirements defined in the ADLI AS&D Quality BoK, Level 1 AS&D Quality Engineers may consider the BoK outline of the ASQ Certified Quality Technician as a valuable guideline for fundamental knowledge capabilities.

The following are the Primary task responsibilities assigned to the the AS&D Level 1 Quality Engineer. Click on the "Key (Task) No." or "Process Title" hyperlink to go to the relevant task description of the requisite knowledge and skill requirements. Below this listing of Primary task responsibilities, the listing of Support task responsibilities is provided.

Evaluate the effectiveness of organizational documentation control processes at sub-tier supplier to ensure compliance to requirements. Verify documentation retention and storage at all levels of the organization.

Review and verify that records contain the scope of the assessment, elements of the assessment which were/were not performed, and findings and observations discovered during the assessment. Verify that appropriate objective evidence is maintained.

Document noncompliances found during QMS evaluations, ensure such findings and observations are documented to reflect the required condition and the encountered condition. Ensure observations and findings are documented on appropriate records.

Schedule and perform physical audits of organizational facilities to verify that customer-owned materials are being appropriately maintained and there is an understanding of special storage requirements, traceability and point of usage documentation.

Schedule and perform physical audits of organizational facilities to verify that government-owned materials are being appropriately maintained and there is an understanding of special storage requirements, traceability and point of usage documentation.

Evaluate customer requirements against the existing definition of engineering standard-work. (Is there a difference between what the customer is requesting and what is already defined in standard-work?)

Review engineering (design), process, and production requirements and determine if there are production processes which require engineering review and approval prior to production release and prior to the implementation of any changes (processes declared unchangeable by engineering without subsequent review and approval). Organize, document, store and integrate ESA requirements into the requirements management tool.

Review engineering, process, and production requirements and assess such against the known capability of manufacturing/servicing to ensure the design can be produced. Organize, document, store and integrate findings into the appropriate organizational records.

Review engineering, process, and production requirements and assess such against the known capability to inspect/test product at the appropriate point of production to ensure conformity to design. Identify and document any process inadequacies. Organize, document, store and integrate inspection requirements into the requirements hierarchy using a requirements management tool.

Document gaps in present standard-work against new production/service requirements. Measure the gap as measures of production/service execution risk. Evaluate the present level of production/servicing standard work as it relates to production/servicing capability.

Apply the concepts and methods of Process FEMA to the production/servicing processes in order to quantify and categorize the potential areas of work execution risk and ensure there are risk mitigation plans developed.

Verify that prior to delivery, configuration reconciliation is performed between Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM) and Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM), complete with a history of Deviation and Waivers, open and pending changes, and objective evidence of change incorporation as applicable.

Verify that prior to delivery, configuration reconciliation is performed between Engineering Bill of Materials (EBOM) and Manufacturing Bill of Materials (MBOM), complete with a history of Deviation and Waivers, open and pending changes, and objective evidence of change incorporation with appropriate approvals, as applicable.

Verify that processes are in place to control the deployment of un-validated engineering changes into production while maintaining positive recall control of any product or services in which un-validated changes have been applied.

Review applicable design and program planning documents and identify potential export control requirements. Organize, document, store and integrate findings into the requirements hierarchy using a requirements management tool.

Verify the appropriate selection of measurement devices (e.g., calibrated, and accuracy) and ensure such are utilized when making inspection measurements. Verify that measurement devices are appropriately calibrated.

Review and verify that drawings, process documents, work instructions, and quality records accurately reflect applicable traceability requirements and that traceability is maintained to the level of product definition which requirements specify. Verify that all applicable traceability requirements are reflected in the appropriate drawings, process documents, work instructions, and quality records, as applicable. (Note: This task requires verification of traceability in artifacts in both directions.)

Verify that stamps and signatures utilized to perform acceptance of work processes are effectively controlled and traceable to the individual accepting work. (Includes all media, including electronic.)

Verify that personnel are authorized (e.g., MRB) to conduct product dispositions and have approved the corrective work activities. (Includes the verification that MRB authorization has been provided by relevant customer/government.)

Verify that the organization, suppliers, partners, and sub-tier suppliers have processes in place to report potential product and process issues to the organization, customers, and regulatory authorities, as appropriate.

Verify that discrepancies defined in regulatory requirements (e.g., CFR 14 Part 21.3) are appropriately reported to the organization, customers, and applicable regulatory authorities within defined time requirements.

Verify that NDT processes are performed to requirements, equipment is appropriately maintained (to include calibration and shelf-life), and personnel performing NDT hold appropriate qualifications. (Assurance of NDT processes.)

Apply inspection techniques to verify all required verification characteristics are positively conformed to design and engineering data sets at the points where verification can be made. Verify that quality records accurately reflect inspection of hidden characteristics.

Evaluate that process, people, and equipment are appropriate to effectively perform product/service verification activities and are controlled throughout the organization. Ability to verify that results of inspection and test activities are defined and documented.

Verify that the process of receiving inspection is capable of meeting the requirements of the customer, design, and production/servicing complexity (includes assessment of receiving inspection planning).

Based on M&TE repeatability and reliability (R&R), identify Measuring and Test Equipment (M&TE) required for the measurement and verification of the production parts. Organize, document, store and integrate tooling and inspection gauging controls into the requirements hierarchy using a requirements management tool.

Verify that shop-assist suppliers have effective procedures in place to ensure the quality of the temporary out-sourced work and are consistent with the organization's quality management system. Where a sub-tier supplier engages in shop-assist activities, ensure the same controls are in place.

Determine that the scope and use of shop assist is limited to the temporary use of production capacity and is not actually an outsourcing of longer-term production and/or services. Where a sub-tier supplier engages in shop-assist activities, ensure the same controls are in place.

Evaluate formal offer packages that potential suppliers/partners have provided in response for quotations. Assess offer packages and ensure the responses accurately address all of the technical requirements stated in the scope of work. Evaluate all requested deviations/objections noted in the response from suppliers/partners, and assess the impact on quality and schedule. Determine and document ratings for each supplier offer package.

Ensure that proper requirement hierarchies are in place to ensure complete requirement allocation. Review identified requirements list from Task 1 of this step. Determine which requirements should be used to expand existing requirements or added to the existing requirement hierarchy. Ensure that requirements are properly decomposed to ensure adequate functional and test coverage.

Ensure availability of access and the adequacy of established procedures to ensure approved suppliers lists are made available to all points where its use is expected (includes throughout the value-stream). As required for programs with partners, edit the approved supplier listing so that a useful subset of the supplier list is provided.

Identify which governmental forms are required for the various parts, components, and systems of the project/program. Verify that organizational business processes adequately control and plan for the issuance of governmental forms related to quality.

Apply CI methods to remove waste and improve quality. Ability to utilize data and various quality tools to understand process performance and improvement opportunity. Ability to develop a business case in support of CI methods/project and present to management.

Assess current program/project against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are documented so that they can be integrated into the program/project plan.

Review the processes applied during the Pre-Production Manufacturing/Maintenance Phase and identify lessons learned for future use. Document identified lessons learned so that such can be understood, assessed for applicability, and applied in future programs/projects.

Assess current program/project against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are documented so that they can be integrated into the program/project plan.

Though it is not expected for AS&D Level 1 Quality Engineers to have complete competency to the knowledge and skill levels defined within the ADLI BoK, it is generally expected that professionals posses an understanding of Support task responsibilities. Such understanding provides both developmental direction for the next level of proficiency, as well as, contextualization of Primary task responsibilities within the larger business processes of organizational work.

The following are the Support task responsibilities assigned to the the AS&D Level 1 Quality Engineer. Click on the "Process" hyperlink to go to the relevant task description of the requisite knowledge and skill requirements. Below this listing of Support task responsibilities, the listing of Support task responsibilities is provided.

Evaluate changes in supplier/partner facilities, personnel, and work volume and potential impact on their ability to continuously meet design, quality, and production/maintenance requirements (includes communication with supplier/partner).

Evaluate the effectiveness of supplier/partner documentation control processes at sub-tier supplier to ensure compliance to requirements. Verify documentation retention and storage at all tiers of the supplier/partner base.

Where 2nd or 3rd party sources are utilized as a means of determining supplier/partner compliance to their QMS, verify that 2nd and 3rd parties have the appropriate skills and capabilities to perform the scope of the audits.

Verify that appropriate root cause/corrective action is undertaken to include appropriate follow up actions, throughout the value-stream. Verify that records are available for review by external auditors, throughout the value-stream.

Engage in conversation with customer, organization, and suppliers to elicit requirements and understand capabilities. This process is to ensure that requirements are understood and that undocumented requirements are identified and subsequently documented

Utilizing defined design and production requirements, identify potential sources of where work may be performed. Elicit preliminary capability and capacity information from the value-stream. (Ensuring the existing information is accurate)

Elicit from management information about production/servicing plans and resources. Through evaluation, determine the effectiveness of alternative approaches. Identify and characterize risks associated with capacity planning.

Understand the production/servicing capacity and material requirements and the resources needed to deliver the product/service. Review results of the product/servicing capability evaluation process. Make preliminary determination of production/servicin

Based on physical evaluation of production/servicing processes, determine the production resources required to deliver the desired product/service. (Including evaluation of other actual or planned work that suppliers may be planning to take on.)

Evaluate the proposed design for ease of maintaining (to include human factors) the product while it is in the possession of the customer/end-user. Ability to organize, document, store and integrate maintainability requirements into the requirements hier

Apply the concepts and methods of DFMEA to the product design in order to quantify and categorize the potential areas of design risk and ensure there are risk mitigation plans developed, documented and deployed.

Review applicable contractual documents and verify that requirements for configuration management are adequately noted. Review the Configuration Management Processes to be used on the program and ensure compliance with established Systems Engineering (SE

Evaluate the organization's capability and capacity to manage design changes, and ensure the coordination, communication, and appropriate approval processes are integral parts of the design CM processes. (Awareness of common CM tools)

Verify the implementation of approved changes are planned produceably and effectively either in line or through modification kits which are thoroughly coordinated with the affected internal and / or external organizations.

Assess the defined value-stream and identify potential export control considerations. Organize, document, store and integrate findings into the requirements hierarchy using a requirements management tool.

Verify the supplier's/partner's appropriate selection of measurement devices (e.g., calibrated, and accuracy) and ensure such are utilized when making inspection measurements, throughout the value-stream. Verify that measurement devices are appropriately

Ensure MRB processes at suppliers/partners are documented in a controlled procedure and the responsibilities of the entities involved in the design, procurement, and production of the product/service are identified. Ensure contractual documents at suppli

Verify that approved sampling plans are appropriately utilized, throughout the value-stream. Verify that records related to sampling activities are appropriately controlled and maintained, throughout the value-stream.

In review of quality requirements, define the scope of evaluation (plan the audit) to determine the compliance, capability, and capacity of supplier's/partner's controls for special processes and/or nondestructive testing.

Perform inspection techniques to verify that the first article produced for each production run in recurring production processes is appropriately set-up so that it will yield conforming characteristics and meets all stated requirements (not AS9102 FAI).

Evaluate that process, people, and equipment are appropriate to effectively perform product/service verification activities and are controlled throughout the supplier/partner base. Ability to verify that results of inspection and test activities are def

Create a document which requests from suppliers/partners formal documents which define their terms, conditions and pricing to perform work which is stated within the technical data package and defined in a statement of work.

Based on supplier's design and production maturity, and oversight requirements, evaluate and identify personnel resource requirements to support outsourcing. Assess resource requirements based on potential regional and international influences.

Assess the capability of suppliers/partners to ensure they have adequate resources to oversee their suppliers. Assess potential influences that regional and international difference within the value-stream may have on the capability of suppliers/partners

Verify that when a contract is terminated between a supplier/partner and sub-tier suppliers that the terms and conditions of termination are complied with and quality is maintained throughout the process.

Verify and validate that suppliers/partners have effective procedures in place to ensure effective root cause, closed-loop corrective and preventative action is deployed as a result of findings and observations documented during a QMS evaluation.

In review of design, program, contract, and quality requirements, create a quality plan which defines the specific controls to be in place to effectively manage work to a supplier which is not approved under normal processes.

Verify that suppliers, partners, and sub-tier suppliers possess an understanding of requirements and such is accurate by assessing the implementation of technical requirements into documented work processes.

Review and verify that the approvals granted to the organization match the products or services the organization is providing. The approvals shall note the scope of system approval, product approvals, and special process approvals. (i.e., Unique approval

Review and verify that the approvals granted to the supplier/partner match the products or services the supplier/partner is providing. The approvals shall note the scope of system approval, product approvals, and special process approvals. (i.e., Unique

As required, engage Nadcap and/or special process experts as an alternative means of special process over-sight for suppliers. This may occur if suppliers allow their certification to expire, have their certification revoked, or as an additional sampling

For sub-tier suppliers, verify that 1st tier suppliers have processes in place to notify the organization in the event of changes in the sub-tier supplier Nadcap and other special process certification status.

Verify the performance of verification processes (e.g., run tests, peer review) to verify deliverable software is conforming to applicable requirements. Verify that code includes the appropriate level of comments and that user and reference documentatio

Identify software quality requirements as they relate to individual suppliers throughout the value-stream. Ensure supplier/partners are informed and understand their software quality responsibilities. Verify that software quality plans are being applied

Evaluate packaging to ensure adequacy to prevent deterioration of product during shipping and storage. Evaluate compliance to packaging, handling and preservation requirements (may include testing of packaging such as vibration and water resistance).

Identify which governmental forms are required for the various parts, components, and systems of the project/program. Verify that organizational and supplier/partner business processes adequately control and plan for the issuance of governmental forms re

Verify, that when required, governmental documentation to record and approve major repairs and alterations are created. Substantiate that approved personnel have made entries on governmental documentation to record and approve major repairs and alteratio

Ensure the personnel within the value-stream who are establishing performance measurements have the appropriate knowledge to successfully execute the process. Review value-stream performance to ensure effectiveness of performance measurement selection an

Ensure the personnel within the value-stream who are conducting analysis of performance measurements have the appropriate knowledge to successfully execute the process. Review value-stream performance to ensure effectiveness of performance measurement se

Assess current program/project against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are documented so that th

Assess current program/project against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are documented so that th

Assess current program/project against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are documented so that th

Review the processes applied during the Pre-Production Manufacturing/Maintenance - Supplier Focus Phase and identify lessons learned for future use. Document identified lessons learned so that such can be understood, assessed for applicability, and appli

Evaluate current program/project requirements against existing lessons learned libraries and determine applicability of application. Determine which lessons learned should be applied to the new program/project. Ensure identified lessons learned are docume

Ensure the personnel within the value-stream who are collecting and communicating performance measurements have the appropriate knowledge to successfully execute the process. Review value-stream performance to ensure effectiveness of performance measurem